I'm still new to the Odyssey world, but, ever since I applied and started writing, it has been an experience more rewarding than I ever thought that it could be. I always enjoyed writing assignments in high school, as long as it was on something that I had an interest in or it gave me a chance to write about what was important to me. I have always had a knack for poetry and a creative way with words. Throughout my life I have had many experiences that gave me inspiration for my writing.

During the first semester of my second year at college, I had a lot friends who were writers for Odyssey. Every now and then I would have an article pop up in my Facebook feed from them, often written or shared by my close friends. I was amazed by the sincerely written pieces that were used to express personal and popular news. I wanted to do the same.

I wanted to share my personal accounts on current events, stories and experiences, and write articles that could help people who are going through a tough time or who maybe need a little "pick me up." I thought of all of the kind words that I found on Facebook, all of the articles that I read which helped me to get through tough days, and all of the inspirational views that so many writers had to share.

I may not have been able to do all of that, but I wanted to try.

In becoming a writer for Odyssey, I was filled with excitement by the thought that my articles had the potential to be read and shared by hundreds or thousands of people around the country. The idea that my writing could resonate with someone who I have never even met, hundreds of miles away, was an intriguing thought.

The possibility that someone enjoyed my work enough to want to share it with others was something that seemed impossible through any other means. It is a kind of recognition that would be hard to find with any college essay or paper.

Admittedly, not every article written gets viral attention from friends or social media sites, but they are essential to personal expression, no matter who reads it. There may be just one person out there who truly understands why you wrote what you did, or who shared an experience just like yours, or there may be hundreds. Either way, being a writer for Odyssey is a rewarding experience that has made me realize ideas, creativity and imagination, that I never knew were there.